Air conditioning



Aug. 29, 1939. c. a. GRADY AIR CONDITIONING Filed Sept. 30, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN OR.'- M/mm E5 6 M44 BY MW Kw/4A W ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 29, 1939.

C. B. GRADY I AIR coumnonmc Filed Sept. 30, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I A/F/rom Ice f '1 enc/asu re Za QT 55 i I I IJIIIIIIJIIII.-:;

u -IIIIIIIIIIIIIII/ INVENTOR B WWII ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 29, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR CONDITIONING Charles B. Grady, West Orange, N. J.

Application September 30, 1936, Serial No. 103,420

1 Claim.

[ of which the method of the present invention maybe practised.

The general object of the present invention is to improve known methods or systems of air conditioning or cooling of rooms, automobiles or l other enclosures. A particular object is to afiord a high degree of efliclency of conditioning operation, and as a result the ability to provide an apparatus of improved compactness and convenience in use. Another object is to render more 20 practical the air conditioning of automobiles or 7 other road vehicles.

and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description of one or more embodiments of the invention or will be understood to 25 those conversant with the subject.

The method of the present invention may be carried out by the use of various apparatuses operating on various principles, wherein the air to be conditioned is circulated from the enclosure 30 through a passage and returned to the enclosure, the passage being contiguous to a body of water or other liquid serving .as a transmitter of heat from the air to a refrigerating medium (or of cold from th medium to the air) while refrigerating action is applied to the liquid, producing cooling of the V liquid while the liquid effect? the cooling of the circulated air. I

Said prior application is an instance of such a conditioning apparatus, and in general the drawlo ings of the present application correspond with those of the prior application. In the prior application is shown a conditioning system applied to an automobile.

In the present application Fig. 1 of the drawings is an elevation view partly broken away looking toward the right hand side of an automobile containing apparatus for conditioning the air contained in the interior room'or space available for the purposes of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a partial rear elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1 on a larger scale and broken away to show interior construction.

Fig. 3 in right elevation and section shows a de- 5 tail on a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2.

Other and further objects- Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the automobile engine and adjacent elements.

Said Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 correspond substantially with Figs. 1, 2, 6 and 7 of said prior application. 5

Fig. 5 is a partial top plan view broken away to show certain interior construction, this corresponding with a part of Fig. 5 of the prior application.

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section taken 10 through the water compartment, submerged air duct and adjacent parts, and Fig. 7 is a section view of the same taken on the line 1'I of Fig. 6; these figures being-of diagrammatic character.

The car body contains the space or enclosure 15 to be conditioned. The conditioning elements being remote or outside of the enclosure they are shown contained in a rear trunk or housing I6. The motor or car engine I! is utilized to drive the refrigerating apparatus which illustratively is shown as a compression system. I

Herein as in the prior application, extending from the shaft pulley I8 of motor I1, is a belt l9 passing around a pulley 24 on the shaft 21 of a compressor or gas pump 25 by which the refrigg5 erant such as sulfur dioxide vapor of the refrigerating system is compressed and thereby heated. The belt may also drive the pulleys of the usual fan 2| and generator 23. A clutch 26 serves to connect the compressor for operation or to 615- 80 continue operation. A pipe 28 carries the refrigerant vapor to the compressor and a pipe 29 carries the compressed vapor therefrom to a condenser 3| wherein, as by air cooling by fan 38, in compartment 36, the hot vapor is cooled to the condensation point. Beyond the condenser the liquid refrigerant passes through a check valve 32 and then expands through an expansion valve or device 33 which releases it to the low pressure beyond, the liquid vaporizing and becoming cold, thence flowing through a cooling chamber or coil 34 immersed in a body of water 41 in a container or tank 46, below the bottom 43 of trunk compartment 40 thence returning by pipe 28 to the compressor. The water tank and other elements 45 are surrounded by insulating material 49 to conserve cold; this being shown at various points.

Instead of operating the compressor from the motor I! of. an automobile it may be operated from an independent source as an electric motor o 13. Such an alternative drive is indicated in Figs. 1 and 4 as follows. On the compressor shaft 21, to the rear of the clutch 26, is shown an additional pulley or sprocket wheel 69 connected by a belt or chain III with a pulley or sprocket wheel 1| on the shaft 12 of the electric motor 18. When such independent motor 13 is used this and the compressor 25 may have a different location from that shown; for example they and the condenser or coil 31 may be placed under the front seat of the vehicle. Having two means of driving the compressor a safety device is desirable by which when the clutch 26 is closed this opens a safety switch in the circuit to the motor 13.

Various of these arrangements may be used for stationary purposes rather than for a motor vehicle. In such case the compressor may be driven otherwise, as by steam power, and the exhaust thereof may be utilized for the heating of water for various purposes.

There is shown also an air passage or duct 56 which is immersed in the water in tank 46, and the immersed cooling coil 34 is arranged adjacent to the air passage, wholly or at least partly surrounding it, so that the cooling effect is transmitted from the coil through the water to the wall of the air passage and thence to the stream of air flowing therethrough. The air cooling passage 56 is connected with the automobile enclosure 15 as follows. A port 50 leads from the enclosure to a descending duct 5 I, thence to a chamber 53 containing an air circulating fan 54, thence to a descending duct 55 into the submerged air cooling passage 56. From submerged duct 56 ducts 59 and 6| carry the air ascendingly to port 62 delivering back into the car enclosure. As dehumidification may occur the submerged air passage has a drain outlet pipe 51 with cock 58. In the air path is a filter 68 to clean the circulating air. A fresh air intake 65 from outdoors is shown, with a filter 66 and a fan61 forcing supplemental air through the intake and directly or indirectly refrigerating action, either from the same cells 3.4 or supplemental coils; By this arrangement of a supplemental submerged fresh air duct the intaken fresh air is cooledlbefore delivery into the enclosure; and for convenieneeit may be caused to deliver intoand byway'of the uptake duct59 into the enclosure. When the weather is'only mod-' erately warm it may suffice to operate by the aux-- iliary submerged duct only, as by shutting off the Whenever the weather becomes comfortable it is only necessary to stop the refrigerating apparatus, theauxiliary duct then functioning merely to supply filtered fresh aircontinuously-to the enclosure.

The. present invention differs in method from the prior application and other known systems, and involves the discovery of advantages, including great increase of efliciency and utility, by

bringing about (instead of avoiding) the freezing of the body of water by which heat is extracted from the circulating air stream or of a substantial portion of such water. The enlarged sectional views Figs. 6 and '1 show the submerged air duct or passage 56 surrounded by the cooling or freezing coils 34, these elements 56 and 34 being submerged within the body of water 41 in the water compartment or tank 46; and these figures show how in practical use a substantial portion of the water is frozen into a body or layer of ice 48 which embeds the coil 34 and surrounds the duct 56, being in turn surrounded by or immersed in the remaining or unfrozen water 41.

This invention may be described broadly as the method of conditioning or cooling in the warm or summer season the air in a room, automobile or similar enclosure, which consists in circulating such air into and through an air passage and back to the enclosure, while maintaining in heatconducting contiguity to or directly exterior to said air passage a body of liquid, such as water, which liquid boils only well above the hottest probable or prevailing atmospheric temperatures, say 120 F., and which freezes (and melts) only at a temperature well below the lowest probable atmospheric temperatures, say 60", and which possesses, as does water, a substantially high latent heat of melting from ice or solid condition to liquid condition, which for convenience will be considered as latent coldness of freezing; and in subjecting such liquid to a refrigerating action of sufllcient intensity to freeze partly or wholly the liquid into ice and thus store it with a reserve of latent coldness of freezing, by drawing upon which the circulating air is progressively cooled with the melting of such ice.

In referring to water an equivalent liquid is to be included answering the aforesaid definition; and the term ice is to include the frozen condition of the liquid used, whether water or other. The liquid is preferably a static body, i. e., locally confined or limited rather than a flowing stream, but

not necessarily still, as it may be stirred to freeze into a semisolid condition or slush. The freezing point may be variedif desired as by adding alcohol to lower it.

The present method may be more particularly described as follows. The air conditioning includes dehumidification where the moisture content requires it. The air passage 55 is preferably a walled duct "or flue as in the prior case, and the water body 41 is thus separated by walls from the air flow; for example the water may be in a tank 46 and surrounding the submerged air passage; although this may be reversed and the water chamber enclosed or suspended within the air passage. With the ice at 32 the water may for example ,be at 36 and the air cooled say from 75 to 65". By the filter 66 the air is cleaned during flow in the duct or passage; and. it may be refreshed by-outside air through intake 65 and filter 66 under operation of fan 61 at a rate to createv an excess interior pressure, whereby any leak- 1 agent air will be outward, protecting the enclosed fan '54 of the submerged recirculating duct iii.v

space. against undesired infiltration of gases. When the air treatment is exterior to the enclosure the water chamber or .air passage or both may beeifectivelyheat insulated as shown.

l The freezing of water'causes expansion,and to avoid possible damage-to the water chamber it may be constructed withits walls corrugated, or

otherwise shaped to allow expansion. By using a surrounding belt or other detector of expansion the refrigerating action may be automatically dis- 7 periods of use as the circulated warm air draws 7 by a cooling coil therein, as the coil 34 of the,

prior case, preferably arranged adjacent to the air passage as shown, partly or preferably wholly surrounding-the same for maximum effect. Any refrigerating system may be used, such a known system operating by heat, using for example the exhaust heat of the automobile. A suitable refrigeration however is that comprising a motor as I! driving a compressor 25 which delivers to a condenser 3| from which the fluid is expanded into the cooling coil. The drawings show the car 'motor or engine I] driving the refrigeration apparatus, but with the present invention this arrangement may represent, and it is preferable to employ, a standard electric motor 13 independent of the power plant of the vehicle, and this motor may be garage equipment but is preferably mounted on the vehicle, but used only with standard current during periods .of non-use or nondriving, e. g., by connecting to line wires at a garage.

Instead of the forced or fan circulation of air, warm from and cool to the enclosure, as shown, a natural flow may be maintained as follows, particularly in the case of a room, but applicable also to other enclosures. The air passage is set upright, or with a high altitude between an upper warm air inlet from the room and a lower cool 'air discharge back to the room, preferably with a damper means to cut down or discontinue at will the circulation and cooling action. Such arrangement needs no further illustration since Figs. 6 and 7 if turned at right angles sumciently represent it.

In this embodiment the passage thus forms a 'reverse stack, the coolair in the passage aflording natural downflow. Refrigerating action is 'applied to or within the passage walls to cool the 'air and promote the circulation. Preferably a body of water is used as before, in a chamber surrounding or surrounded by the air passage. By applying refrigerating action to the water during 'periods of non-use of the room or when the damper is closed, ice is caused to form, storing a reserve of latent coldness which may serve through the succeeding period of use, with or even without continuedrefrigerating action. If

the compression refrigeration system be used, preferably the condenser and the warm piping to andfrom it are exterior to the room or at least cooled by outside air or by water; and the air passage has a collecting pan or drain pipe to dispose of condensate resulting from dehumidiflcation. The air passage and water chamber may be exteriorly insulated if desired to prevent the exterior accumulation of moisture thereon.

Various regulations may be employed. A thermostat may be used to'reduce or discontinue air recirculation as by slowing or stoppa e of fan or closing of damper more or less; in which case the refrigeration of the water is preferably continued. Refrigeration may be reduced or stopped either by thermostat control or by excess freezing of water. For example, if the water body is in a corrugated chamber, a detector may show commencement of expansion, as already mentioned, and thus bring about cessation of action as by breaking the circuit to the compressor motor. Other control may be effected by humidostat or by time mechanism or otherwise.

I claim:

Method of conditioning by cooling and dehumidfying in the warm or summer season the air in a passenger automobile or similar road vehicle having an enclosure for human occupation, as compared with the temperature and humidity of the outside atmosphere; said method comprising, during periods when the vehicle is in driving use on the road, circulating the air of such enclosure into and through an extended air passage and back to the enclosure, while maintaining in conducting contiguity to such air passage a body of water, and while taking in outside air to freshen the inside air and create an inside pressure above atmospheric pressure; and during periods of nonuse of the vehicle subjecting such water to an intense refrigerating action sumcient to freeze partly or wholly the water into ice and thus store it with a substantial reserve of latent coldness of freezing; and during periods -of road use continuing to subject such water to a refrigerating action operated from the power of thevehicle; whereby during such driving periods the circulating air of the occupied enclosure is progressively cooled as to both its wet bulb and dry bulb temperatures, by the gradual melting of such ice as prolonged by such continued refrigeration, and there is caused progressive dehumidification by condensation from the recirculated air of moisture contained therein, for methodical removal thereof from such air passage.

CHARLES B. GRADY. 

